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JWST Question! I've seen the awesome infographic they put out about how Diffraction Spikes are caused by the struts and mirror edge shape, and thus Webb's are different from Hubble's. My question: Can multiple photos at different rotations be combined to compensate?

JWST Question! I've seen the awesome infographic they put out about how Diffraction Spikes are caused by the struts and mirror edge shape, and thus Webb's are different from Hubble's. My question: Can multiple photos at different rotations be combined to compensate?

  • Chadd Nervigg
    Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
    JWST Question! I've seen the awesome infographic they put out about how Diffraction Spikes are caused by the struts and mirror edge shape, and thus Webb's are different from Hubble's. My question: Can multiple photos at different rotations be combined to compensate?

    • Chadd Nervigg
      Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
      Like rotate around the axis between telescope and target, so the strut position rotates relative to the target, then combine those images to see what's hidden under the diffraction spikes? Tagging some smart people... @neiltyson @smartereveryday @hankgreen @astrofalls

      • hankgreen
        Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
        @Celestalon @neiltyson @smartereveryday @astrofalls Yes, you can rotate the telescope to move the spikes around. Combining a bunch of them to get rid of the spikes entirely wouldn't be much use, but you can (and astronomers do) rotate the telescope so that the spike doesn't cover a target.

        • Chadd Nervigg
          Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
          @hankgreen @neiltyson @smartereveryday @astrofalls Awesome, thank you!

        • astrofalls
          Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
          @hankgreen @Celestalon @neiltyson @smartereveryday Theoretically you could remove the spikes with two images rotations only and some very aggressive pixel rejection, but it’s probably not worth it

          • BadAstronomer
            Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
            @astrofalls @hankgreen @Celestalon @neiltyson @smartereveryday You can also observe a different star of the same spectral type and rough brightness and subtract it. We did that with Hubble, but it's WAY easier to say than do.

            • Chadd Nervigg
              Posted 3 years, 6 months ago (Source)
              @BadAstronomer @astrofalls @hankgreen @neiltyson @smartereveryday These both sound super interesting. When you say "not worth it", do you mean that the result wouldn't be very different, or it wouldn't provide scientific value?
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